US-Russia Nuclear Treaty Set to Expire, Raising Fears of New Arms Race
The last nuclear weapons control treaty between the United States and Russia, known as "New START," was set to expire on Thursday, raising concerns about a potential new arms race between the two nations, according to BBC World. Signed in 2010, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty capped the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads for each country at 1,550. The treaty also established transparency through data transfer, notifications, and on-site inspections. Its expiration effectively marked an end to a key agreement designed to prevent catastrophic nuclear war.
Meanwhile, other news emerged, including Melinda French Gates addressing her ex-husband Bill Gates being named in newly released files related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Speaking on an NPR podcast, French Gates described the situation as bringing up "painful times in my marriage." She expressed "unbelievable sadness" and stated that "whatever questions remain" needed to be answered by those named in the records, including her ex-husband. "I am so happy to be away from all the muck," she said, referring to her divorce from Bill Gates in 2021.
In other developments related to Epstein, a legal letter claimed that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Jeffrey Epstein allegedly asked an exotic dancer to "engage in various sex acts" at Epstein's Florida home. According to the letter, released as part of the latest tranche of Epstein files, the woman's lawyers stated she was offered $10,000 to dance and that after she performed, Epstein and Mountbatten-Windsor requested a threesome. The lawyers said the woman was not paid the promised amount and would keep the alleged 2006 encounter, in which she was "treated like a prostitute," confidential in exchange for a payment of $250,000. BBC News has contacted Mountbatten-Windsor for comment. He has always denied any wrongdoing.
In Norway, Marius Borg Høiby, the son of Norway's crown princess, appeared in court in Oslo on rape charges. He denied four allegations of rape as well as other serious charges against him. During the second day of his trial, Høiby, 29, became emotional while giving evidence, holding back tears and pausing to wipe his eyes. He described living a life of partying out of an extreme need for validation and complained of being followed by the press since he was three years old.
Adding to the day's global news, a British man recounted a harrowing shark attack during a holiday in Tobago. Peter Smith, a retired IT director from Hertfordshire, was attacked while swimming in the sea on the last day of his vacation. "Suddenly I felt a very heavy object hit my leg. I look down and there's a shark - and it's big," Smith said, recalling the incident. He was waist-deep in the water, about 20 feet from the shore, when the attack occurred. "I've never hit anything so hard," he added, describing the impact.
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